Figurants of case on stealing money for GLONASS development plunder 2 billion roubles

Photo ITAR-TASS

MOSCOW, November 7 (Itar-Tass) — Russia’s Interior Ministry continues investigation of the case on plunder of 565 million roubles, which had been allocated for development of the GLONASS space navigation system.

Press service of the Moscow police reported on Wednesday, that the investigation revealed a company, to which accounts the figurants transferred the money.

“The police revealed the fact of stealing the total of two billion roubles, where about 600 million were transferred to accounts of ‘one-day’ companies,” the source said.

“During a search conducted at the director general of the company, the police found a seal of an organisation, which was used for the plunder of the budget money. Computers of the director general and financial director contained documents of organisations, which seem to have been registered without a purpose of doing a business.”

A criminal case on unreasonable use of money from the state budget allocated for development of the GLONASS space navigation system was opened in July.

Earlier, press centre of the Interior Ministry said it suspected heads of the Russian Space Systems Company of the illegal activities. They made agreements for scientific research with commercial organisations, which did not have their own material and technical base or staff of required qualifications.

“The police found out that the works were made by the company’s staff, while payment for as-if contracts was transferred to accounts of two companies they controlled,” the ministry said. “After that, the money was extracted from the legal use via a chain of ‘one-day’ firms.”

Russia’s Federal Space Agency conducted an in-house investigation: the illegal use of the money was confirmed, the Interior Ministry said.